Movies

[garfield28]

Hi all,

Anyone got any tips on how I can change my DVD movies to a USB flash drive so I can throw movies on for the kids when away from TV reception area please? Just saves space too taking a 100 DVDs

Thanks

 

[Drover]

You will need to buy a DVD Ripper programme that will convert the DVD to a format like mp4, mate uses one called DVD Fab, he bought it after trying the free version... https://www.dvdfab.cn/ less complicated than my way....
Once upon a time there was a great little prog called DVD Decrypter which would crack the code on the DVD and allow you to copy it to another DVD or HDD..... still available I believe http://www.dvddecrypter.org.uk/ ...........I use Nero as well ...................................You need to convert the DVD format to mp4 or AVI though as most DVDs will be in the vicinity of 7gb, takes up far too much space, converting to mp4/AVI makes it smaller, you pick the size , compress it too much you get a lousy copy so you experiment usually 2.5-3gb gives a good copy then you fiddle around with the sound so you have a good quality and good volume on the sound, once you get it right your good to go....

Your computer will need a DVD reader or a portable to plug in with plenty of space on the HDD for it to operate, the flash drives need to be 32gb so it can hold quite a few movies, putting them onto say a large portable HDD can be problematic as not all TVs will read them, hence all my movies are on a 1tb portable which I will transfer a selection to a flash drive for viewing.....

mp4 or AVI are good all round formats to use as they produce good quality video and sound and will play on pretty well every device, most of my stuff is in AVI format.... Its the same with music CDs they are in a CDA format best to turn it into mp3 then you can fit numerous CDs onto one DVD in mp3 or millions of songs onto a flash drive.............
In the Jeep I have a SD card full of music which lives in the SD slot even better than using a USB drive as its out of the way....

 

[garfield28]

You will need to buy a DVD Ripper programme that will convert the DVD to a format like mp4, mate uses one called DVD Fab, he bought it after trying the free version... https://www.dvdfab.cn/ less complicated than my way....
Once upon a time there was a great little prog called DVD Decrypter which would crack the code on the DVD and allow you to copy it to another DVD or HDD..... still available I believe http://www.dvddecrypter.org.uk/ ...........I use Nero as well ...................................You need to convert the DVD format to mp4 or AVI though as most DVDs will be in the vicinity of 7gb, takes up far too much space, converting to mp4/AVI makes it smaller, you pick the size , compress it too much you get a lousy copy so you experiment usually 2.5-3gb gives a good copy then you fiddle around with the sound so you have a good quality and good volume on the sound, once you get it right your good to go....

Your computer will need a DVD reader or a portable to plug in with plenty of space on the HDD for it to operate, the flash drives need to be 32gb so it can hold quite a few movies, putting them onto say a large portable HDD can be problematic as not all TVs will read them, hence all my movies are on a 1tb portable which I will transfer a selection to a flash drive for viewing.....

mp4 or AVI are good all round formats to use as they produce good quality video and sound and will play on pretty well every device, most of my stuff is in AVI format.... Its the same with music CDs they are in a CDA format best to turn it into mp3 then you can fit numerous CDs onto one DVD in mp3 or millions of songs onto a flash drive.............
In the Jeep I have a SD card full of music which lives in the SD slot even better than using a USB drive as its out of the way....

Thanks Drover... You are up to date with all of this tech stuff

 

[Drover]

Once was but not so much nowadays, don't fiddle with computers and stuff as I once did...............For movies and stuff now mostly just stream them when travelling though still carry a couple of sticks just in case.

 

[garfield28]

Once was but not so much nowadays, don't fiddle with computers and stuff as I once did...............For movies and stuff now mostly just stream them when travelling though still carry a couple of sticks just in case.

Yeah we usually stream also Drover but we are trying to stay at places other than caravan parks now and most of those places don't have great phone service so we'd just like another option to watch movies in these cases.
Thanks mate

 

[Drover]

Im with you on that, rarely stay in parks but other than using Sat TV well Foxtel my set up will pull in a phone signal if theres one around... Even had a signal at Lara Wetlands.... The thing is to have either a mobile broadband hotspot that can have an aerial or phone that will except one....

 

[mfexpanda]

Im with you on that, rarely stay in parks but other than using Sat TV well Foxtel my set up will pull in a phone signal if theres one around... Even had a signal at Lara Wetlands.... The thing is to have either a mobile broadband hotspot that can have an aerial or phone that will except one....

We use Starlink for our internet now
Expensive but till the house is built we’ll have access to Netflix,Kayo, YouTube etc

 

[Drover]

We use Starlink for our internet now
Expensive but till the house is built we’ll have access to Netflix,Kayo, YouTube etc

I had a good look at Starlink but the cost was just too much so stayed with my Nighthawk mobile broadband set up, mind you a Nighthawk unit will slug you over $500 now and out in the boonies you need an aerial so set up cost is right up there now, well even here at home I use an aerial as we have such a crappy signal without it, built it myself so only about $20, now about 10 years old and have done 2 rebuilds on it thanks to bloody birds jumping on it......... I imagine from my times at Elliot Heads the mobile reception wasn't the greatest either..................... at least my phone will connect as a phone thru my WiFi which is a great help...

How do you find Starlink ????

 

[mfexpanda]

I had a good look at Starlink but the cost was just too much so stayed with my Nighthawk mobile broadband set up, mind you a Nighthawk unit will slug you over $500 now and out in the boonies you need an aerial so set up cost is right up there now, well even here at home I use an aerial as we have such a crappy signal without it, built it myself so only about $20, now about 10 years old and have done 2 rebuilds on it thanks to bloody birds jumping on it......... I imagine from my times at Elliot Heads the mobile reception wasn't the greatest either..................... at least my phone will connect as a phone thru my WiFi which is a great help...

How do you find Starlink ????

Starlink works great everywhere
We paid $450 for the mobile unit and $175 I think a month unlimited which you can pause at any time but must be in month blocks
Internet coverage everywhere in Australia
The only con is that it runs on 240 V no 12V atm but we just use the inverter

 

[Drover]

Thats when I got really interested when they dropped the price of it, I think it will run on 48vDC thru an adapter which you can buy from a third party and a cable mod, I thought of using an invertor as it draws 2amp on 240 but will want 50w or so when beeing used and about 20w when not or somewhere in that area... its hard to get a decent set of specs for the gear........................... My plan was to make an easy plug an play set up for van and house without a lot of stuffing around if possible.............................. be very handy out to buggery for making a phone call..................

Haven't you got power to your van ?? I plugged into the power box soon as it got nailed to a post............... thankfully unlike the tap it was on my side of the block ...

 

[mfexpanda]

Thats when I got really interested when they dropped the price of it, I think it will run on 48vDC thru an adapter which you can buy from a third party and a cable mod, I thought of using an invertor as it draws 2amp on 240 but will want 50w or so when beeing used and about 20w when not or somewhere in that area... its hard to get a decent set of specs for the gear........................... My plan was to make an easy plug an play set up for van and house without a lot of stuffing around if possible.............................. be very handy out to buggery for making a phone call..................

Haven't you got power to your van ?? I plugged into the power box soon as it got nailed to a post............... thankfully unlike the tap it was on my side of the block ...

Yes I’m plugged in and water
We use the inverter if free camping

We have stolen this thread to watch movies we have a bluray player on top of our vast box using a seperate hdmi cable to the tv

 

[Drover]

Its handy if you remember to plug in a stick into the VAST to record something, not that I have found anything on FTA worth the effort ...................... sorry @garfield28 as we have wandered off course again.

 

[RickB]

Starlink works great everywhere.

Do you get any dropouts around trees?

 

[mfexpanda]

Starlink works great everywhere.

Do you get any dropouts around trees?

You need to download the Starlink app
When setting up the app asks you to take video of the sky where you are setting the dish
And then shows you if it’s ok to use
Works good no drop outs

 

[Drover]

I imagine the view would need to be the same as sat dish set up though with a wider angle , I have locked on to the Optus Sat with just the smallest of gaps between trees along the Murray, folk must have though I was a nutter as I was peering thru my compass and then sighting with my arm at about 45 deg till I found the spot, parked Big Mal in the spot and set up the dish. Once you know where in the sky they are your good to go to find the spot to stop.

 

[mfexpanda]

I imagine the view would need to be the same as sat dish set up though with a wider angle , I have locked on to the Optus Sat with just the smallest of gaps between trees along the Murray, folk must have though I was a nutter as I was peering thru my compass and then sighting with my arm at about 45 deg till I found the spot, parked Big Mal in the spot and set up the dish. Once you know where in the sky they are your good to go to find the spot to stop.

Once the app talks to the dish it moves and finds the satellite automatically

 

[Drover]

When your camping along places like the Murray you would certainly need to know where the sats are as Starlink requires a bigger piece of sky visible than the Optus B1 sat, wanting at least 100 deg of view could make it problematic in some places as thats a big hole, I suppose if you look south and have your arms up at 45 deg and turn around, anything inside the arc of your arms could be an obstacle.... with the Foxtel/Vast set up I shoot a North bearing ( tip of Cape York is what you want) and look at 45-60 deg elevation, depending on location with my arm and thats my aiming point as the Optus B1 is fixed in place, usually takes me about 2 or 3 mins to lock on..... the Starlink will adjust to each Sats position for optimum so needs a good clear bit sky ........................ reminds of the Iridium set up from years back which would have been a fantastic system but went bust, now a US Defence Dept system, very similar to Starlink I think.................. I think I would like it really.

 

[Crusty181]

Starlink works great everywhere
We paid $450 for the mobile unit and $175 I think a month unlimited which you can pause at any time but must be in month blocks
Internet coverage everywhere in Australia
The only con is that it runs on 240 V no 12V atm but we just use the inverter View attachment 68954

I watched a vid of a guy who cut the Starlink dish up with an angle grinder and permanently flat mount the dish on his camper roof. He also ditched the Starlink router in favour of a 12v unit and made a 12v supply to run it all. Dish active 24/7 even when he's driving, no set up and been working for months with no real issues

 

[mfexpanda]

I watched a vid of a guy who cut the Starlink dish up with an angle grinder and permanently flat mount the dish on his camper roof. He also ditched the Starlink router in favour of a 12v unit and made a 12v supply to run it all. Dish active 24/7 even when he's driving, no set up and been working for months with no real issues

YouTube?

 

[Crusty181]

YouTube?

Yes ... want a link??